I talked about my personal reasoning as to why I'm having a tough time swallowing John McCain as the GOP Nominee yesterday, but I left out one point because I figured it would probably make an entire article in and of itself.
The biggest argument that always comes up in Conservative cooler talk nowadays are the Supreme Court justices.
If you have read Jeffrey Toobin's The Nine (which I highly recommend) then you know that the court is one justice away from swinging to a more Conservative outlook. Maybe even more Conservative than it has ever been.
This is a big deal in just about every facet of the party for varying reasons but there are two major segments that have been salivating over this for years.
On one side, you have what I consider the center of the party, the Reagan group. This segment of the party has always believed in having judges on the court that would interpret the Constitution in its original intent, which was to lay a groundwork for our Federal Government.
There is also the far right wing of the party, which in my eyes would be the religious theocrats. They of course want judges that are going to do their best to abolish Roe vs. Wade.
You can certainly mix these groups together as well because a Reagan conservative doesn't believe in an expansive federal government and probably believes that a decision like abortion is up to the states themselves, and more importantly its inhabitants.
With 6 of the 9 justices over 70, this is a crucial time for advancing the ideals of Conservatism.
Enter John McCain, who has promised only the the most conservative of nominees. Is anyone else having a problem buying into this?
I laid out all the reasoning that I believe points to Mr. McCain's record being a far cry from Conservatism, and on the issue of Supreme Court Justices, I just don't see it happening either.
Just as McCain's record points to the word RINO, I fear his judges would be the Conservative flavor of David Souter rather than John Roberts.
The worst of it all is, this is completely probable thanks to The Gang of 14 which McCain was so proudly a part of.
McCain can nominate the most strict Constitutionalist he wants. He can opt to put forward justices with a very conservative record, but it won't ultimately matter because of filibustering tactics.
McCain could then plausibly use this to advantage and nominate more moderate judges after exhausting all of his conservative options and still save face. After all he tried, but just couldn't get the nominations through thanks to Congress.
Just another reason in my mind to fear John McCain. The man is anything but a Conservative, at least according to his record.
Digg it!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Voting for John McCain....
Yes, like many true conservatives the idea of me pulling the lever for John McCain isn't sitting well. Frankly, its doing about as well down there as the dinner scene in Alien.
There are a lot of things that Conservatives are going to have to swallow when they walk into that voting booth and close that curtain. Let's take a look at some of the issues I have with a vote for John McCain.
McCain-Feingold: At the center of every Conservative lies the Constitution of the United States. It is what defines our rights as citizens of this great nation. McCain-Feingold ran free speech through the ringers a couple of times, then spit it out on the pavement.
McCain-Kennedy: Otherwise known to the entire nation as the amnesty bill. How many Americans were rallying behind this legislation? If you consider pitchforks and burning torches a success then it was pretty popular. The last time I checked, any form of amnesty is the polar opposite of good Conservative values.
McCain-Lieberman: This one is my personal favorite! We're expected to spend $1.2 trillion dollars on a Global Warming theory. That's right folks, not proven science. Yes, you can argue there is data on either side of the coin that could point to it being reality or a hoax, but does that really make it worthwhile to invest a ton of money into something we aren't even sure on? Oh, and let's not forget, we also let the government tell us what light bulbs we can and can't use.
Now you look at that list, and you probably say Rich, that's the record of a big government liberal! and I would certainly go with you on that one. But the madness doesn't stop here.
I'm told that I should just suck it up and realize that John McCain is the best solution for this nation and our party. I have a couple caveats with this theory.
First of all, our party in its modern form is here because of Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater. Those two men are the cornerstone of Conservatism.
Goldwater came along to redefine it into its modern philosophies of limited federal government, strong national defense, limited spending and above all personal responsibility.
Reagan rode in at a time when the nation was truly pining for change and picked up that torch when the world was ready and rode into the next decade never looking back, and the rest is history.
Yes, they're also buzzwords that everyone likes to throw around when likening themselves to Conservatism, but there's pretty good reasoning behind that. Telling me that I should consider John McCain's extensive resume with those two seems a little bit obscene, don't you think?
Secondly, the idea that any of this is good for the Republican party.
I consider my beliefs in Conservative ideals aren't far right wing. They're actually very centrist. Reaganism/Goldwaterism is simply Conservatism as we know it. We're what should be the center of the party. That's where the problem is, a candidate like John McCain only pulls our party further to the left.
I do see McCain as a Reagan figure, but an inverse Reagan figure. If Hilary gets the nomination all he does is pull over jaded liberals, but this time they're voting for him because he's their brand of liberal. Not because of any true change.
I have said many times that we need to rebuild the Republican party. This is probably the beginning of that. I just hope there is a country left for a new dawn to occur.
Digg it!
There are a lot of things that Conservatives are going to have to swallow when they walk into that voting booth and close that curtain. Let's take a look at some of the issues I have with a vote for John McCain.
McCain-Feingold: At the center of every Conservative lies the Constitution of the United States. It is what defines our rights as citizens of this great nation. McCain-Feingold ran free speech through the ringers a couple of times, then spit it out on the pavement.
McCain-Kennedy: Otherwise known to the entire nation as the amnesty bill. How many Americans were rallying behind this legislation? If you consider pitchforks and burning torches a success then it was pretty popular. The last time I checked, any form of amnesty is the polar opposite of good Conservative values.
McCain-Lieberman: This one is my personal favorite! We're expected to spend $1.2 trillion dollars on a Global Warming theory. That's right folks, not proven science. Yes, you can argue there is data on either side of the coin that could point to it being reality or a hoax, but does that really make it worthwhile to invest a ton of money into something we aren't even sure on? Oh, and let's not forget, we also let the government tell us what light bulbs we can and can't use.
Now you look at that list, and you probably say Rich, that's the record of a big government liberal! and I would certainly go with you on that one. But the madness doesn't stop here.
I'm told that I should just suck it up and realize that John McCain is the best solution for this nation and our party. I have a couple caveats with this theory.
First of all, our party in its modern form is here because of Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater. Those two men are the cornerstone of Conservatism.
Goldwater came along to redefine it into its modern philosophies of limited federal government, strong national defense, limited spending and above all personal responsibility.
Reagan rode in at a time when the nation was truly pining for change and picked up that torch when the world was ready and rode into the next decade never looking back, and the rest is history.
Yes, they're also buzzwords that everyone likes to throw around when likening themselves to Conservatism, but there's pretty good reasoning behind that. Telling me that I should consider John McCain's extensive resume with those two seems a little bit obscene, don't you think?
Secondly, the idea that any of this is good for the Republican party.
I consider my beliefs in Conservative ideals aren't far right wing. They're actually very centrist. Reaganism/Goldwaterism is simply Conservatism as we know it. We're what should be the center of the party. That's where the problem is, a candidate like John McCain only pulls our party further to the left.
I do see McCain as a Reagan figure, but an inverse Reagan figure. If Hilary gets the nomination all he does is pull over jaded liberals, but this time they're voting for him because he's their brand of liberal. Not because of any true change.
I have said many times that we need to rebuild the Republican party. This is probably the beginning of that. I just hope there is a country left for a new dawn to occur.
Digg it!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
I've Seen the Future
You have to wonder, how did we get here? You have to think to yourself what happened to our party? What happened to the thoughts and principals of Goldwater and Reagan? Where did the party go wrong?
The answers to those questions may look extremely difficult on the surface but the honest answer is they aren’t, we just need to be prepared to look at the truth.
There isn’t anything wrong with the party or the principals, it’s the people that are calling the shots, and when I say that I mean the voters who are placing the types of politicians in office that run under the guise and masquerade of conservatives.
The irony is rich in today’s controversies of the Republican Party, because it all started where conservatives today want to begin, with Reagan. The day that the religious right stepped into the political arena of our party is the day that the inevitable decline began, and that decline is where we are right now.
The problem that we have is that our own party members have forgotten what the philosophies of Reagan and Goldwater were, and even worse, they’ve forgotten what the word Conservative really means.
It seems that more and more of the voting populace is concerned with moral Conservatives being in office than they are about the traditional issues of conservatism, a strong military, individual freedom, and a small governmental presence.
A quick glance at one of the many liberal cable news networks will simply affirm the fact that any candidate espousing anything close to a true founding father’s sense of what the Republican Party was or is will reveal nothing short of an open assault and dissent upon the beliefs that many of us hold true.
But instead of blaming the many outside influences, we need to look within.
The idea that a candidate for President should share the views of his party and base is of course essential. However, the idea that one should be elected solely on his religious beliefs is completely short sited and off base.
Let’s take Mike Huckabee for example (or as the people of Arkansas like to refer to him, Tax Hike Mike). If you look at him solely on his record you will see something fascinating. You will see the path of a big government, establishment type of politician. It’s plain to see to anyone who spends 15 minutes on Google that Mr. Huckabee’s record does not convey a sense of Conservative principals.
However, he certainly gets votes.
The thing that concerns me is that perhaps a large portion of America is casting votes upon the word of the Falwell’s and Robertson’s and not the issues themselves.
It’s no secret that a large part of the Republican base are devout Christians, and admirably so. However the words ‘Separation of Church and State” never had a more profound meaning in this day and age.
Now before we go any further, let me emphasize here that this is not an affront or a criticism of any religion, or a person’s religious beliefs (Even though that won’t matter and I’m going to get hammered for this).
I commend people who have a strong sense of religion. I admire them. But the fact is that religion and politics simply do not mix.
Picking the President of the United States, our commander and chief solely on what God he worships, or how strongly he believes in that God is insane.
Should we elect a person to office that has an affirmed record of raising taxes, no matter how you spin it? Should we elect a person who allowed Sanctuary cities in their states? (And I’m not specifically talking about Huckabee here either).
I have a firm belief in God, I believe in the teachings of the Bible. I want a man in office who shares my intense desire for the following of a higher power, but I don’t want that consuming him. I want a delegate and a fiscally conservative person. I want a leader who has a firm belief on our borders, language and culture. I want a man or woman who has the courage to do what might not always be the populist way of doing things, but a President who follows the beliefs of the Grand Old Party.
We need to STOP voting for people who we believe have great moral standing, and START voting for people who also have great fiscal and social standing as well.
I believe I may have seen the future in politics, and it isn’t a pretty site.
Right now we have three segments of people who are ripping the Republican Party apart and wish to reshape it in their own specific images of what a Republican “is” nowadays.
You have the neo-cons and on one side, the people who believe that Reagan style politics simply means moderation in order to appeal to those disenfranchised Democrats. I have news for you folks, Reagan was not a moderate. The sole reason he appealed so broadly to the Democrats of his time was their disdain for the shape of their party at the time, and this should sound very familiar to you.
You then have the theocrats, the extreme religious right who are bent on dispatching Roe vs. Wade and championing a return to prayer in schools. Now, this is the seemingly difficult part of the equation. The party was founded upon religious freedom and the country itself was established to alleviate the fears of persecution. But, the solution is actually simple.
What we need is a President who truly believes in our founding fathers and their belief of a limited federal government.
I never met Barry Goldwater, Hell I didn’t even know who he was until after he was dead, but I bet I can tell you exactly what he, and people who believed in his style of conservatism would say.
It isn’t the federal government’s job to make decisions on abortion or prayer in schools. It should belong to the states. That’s right ladies and gentleman, one of the cornerstones of the party, the nation state mentality.
If you see something so controversial that it requires a form of legal intervention you stick it on a ballot and you let the population vote on it. It’s really that simple.
We ALL need to realize as a party it is our responsibility to form an opinion upon the issues we believe in, educate ourselves on those matters and then vote for the person who closely resembles those ideals. We need to stop listening to whom televangelists, or anyone for that matter who think they can tell you who to ‘believe’ is the right candidate for America.
The final segment of the party is us. You know who I’m talking to. Those of us who really believe in the undeniable and unwavering beliefs of what our party was founded upon.
Limited government, strong defense, and individual freedom, the REAL founding father’s Republicans are out there. I’m one of them.
I hear these sentiments echoed every day in more places than I can even begin to describe to you.
It’s too late to ponder why we don’t have a real conservative out there. People keep throwing out Reagan’s name as a buzzword, including me, but it’s falling on deaf ears. People simply aren’t that stupid to believe that the ideals and philosophies of Reagan are being remotely practiced in this day and age.
We as a party have two choices right now. Unite or suffer the consequence of our actions.
To be honest, I might like to see what would happen if Obama would win the election. We’d end up with another Carter all over again with a candidate with no experience but we’d also capture that change he’s always talking about, it’s just not the change or direction that the liberals would have you believe it would be.
Maybe we’d then end up with the second coming of Reagan/Goldwaterism in 2012. I’ll be honest with you. I really believe it is coming.
It’s too easy to say you can redefine conservatism by the social ills of the day because you can’t, you cannot restate or reshape a party the way some would like. Conservatism simply does not change, it’s timeless. That is why the constructionists of this country and its ideals were genius. It is defined today by what it was during the inception of this great nation. It has been carried through time by great leaders. And make no mistake, another one is coming. 20 years from now maybe I’ll be talking about the triumphant return of true conservatism in America. I realize now that no matter how much that I may want it, it isn’t going to happen today. But if we take these ideas and really begin building upon them now, image what WE can do in the next four years?
I want you to do me a favor now. I want you to think about the words that Abraham Lincoln spoke in his famous address in Gettysburg.
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Although President Lincoln was speaking of the great sacrifices that our divided nation’s armies committed on that day, it’s just a prevalent in this moment as it was then.
It’s time that we all remembered the great sacrifices that this country has experienced, those that we’ve set aside in our minds. It’s time we start remembering what our party was established upon, not what’s popular today or tomorrow.
It’s time we stand up and take our party back.
The answers to those questions may look extremely difficult on the surface but the honest answer is they aren’t, we just need to be prepared to look at the truth.
There isn’t anything wrong with the party or the principals, it’s the people that are calling the shots, and when I say that I mean the voters who are placing the types of politicians in office that run under the guise and masquerade of conservatives.
The irony is rich in today’s controversies of the Republican Party, because it all started where conservatives today want to begin, with Reagan. The day that the religious right stepped into the political arena of our party is the day that the inevitable decline began, and that decline is where we are right now.
The problem that we have is that our own party members have forgotten what the philosophies of Reagan and Goldwater were, and even worse, they’ve forgotten what the word Conservative really means.
It seems that more and more of the voting populace is concerned with moral Conservatives being in office than they are about the traditional issues of conservatism, a strong military, individual freedom, and a small governmental presence.
A quick glance at one of the many liberal cable news networks will simply affirm the fact that any candidate espousing anything close to a true founding father’s sense of what the Republican Party was or is will reveal nothing short of an open assault and dissent upon the beliefs that many of us hold true.
But instead of blaming the many outside influences, we need to look within.
The idea that a candidate for President should share the views of his party and base is of course essential. However, the idea that one should be elected solely on his religious beliefs is completely short sited and off base.
Let’s take Mike Huckabee for example (or as the people of Arkansas like to refer to him, Tax Hike Mike). If you look at him solely on his record you will see something fascinating. You will see the path of a big government, establishment type of politician. It’s plain to see to anyone who spends 15 minutes on Google that Mr. Huckabee’s record does not convey a sense of Conservative principals.
However, he certainly gets votes.
The thing that concerns me is that perhaps a large portion of America is casting votes upon the word of the Falwell’s and Robertson’s and not the issues themselves.
It’s no secret that a large part of the Republican base are devout Christians, and admirably so. However the words ‘Separation of Church and State” never had a more profound meaning in this day and age.
Now before we go any further, let me emphasize here that this is not an affront or a criticism of any religion, or a person’s religious beliefs (Even though that won’t matter and I’m going to get hammered for this).
I commend people who have a strong sense of religion. I admire them. But the fact is that religion and politics simply do not mix.
Picking the President of the United States, our commander and chief solely on what God he worships, or how strongly he believes in that God is insane.
Should we elect a person to office that has an affirmed record of raising taxes, no matter how you spin it? Should we elect a person who allowed Sanctuary cities in their states? (And I’m not specifically talking about Huckabee here either).
I have a firm belief in God, I believe in the teachings of the Bible. I want a man in office who shares my intense desire for the following of a higher power, but I don’t want that consuming him. I want a delegate and a fiscally conservative person. I want a leader who has a firm belief on our borders, language and culture. I want a man or woman who has the courage to do what might not always be the populist way of doing things, but a President who follows the beliefs of the Grand Old Party.
We need to STOP voting for people who we believe have great moral standing, and START voting for people who also have great fiscal and social standing as well.
I believe I may have seen the future in politics, and it isn’t a pretty site.
Right now we have three segments of people who are ripping the Republican Party apart and wish to reshape it in their own specific images of what a Republican “is” nowadays.
You have the neo-cons and on one side, the people who believe that Reagan style politics simply means moderation in order to appeal to those disenfranchised Democrats. I have news for you folks, Reagan was not a moderate. The sole reason he appealed so broadly to the Democrats of his time was their disdain for the shape of their party at the time, and this should sound very familiar to you.
You then have the theocrats, the extreme religious right who are bent on dispatching Roe vs. Wade and championing a return to prayer in schools. Now, this is the seemingly difficult part of the equation. The party was founded upon religious freedom and the country itself was established to alleviate the fears of persecution. But, the solution is actually simple.
What we need is a President who truly believes in our founding fathers and their belief of a limited federal government.
I never met Barry Goldwater, Hell I didn’t even know who he was until after he was dead, but I bet I can tell you exactly what he, and people who believed in his style of conservatism would say.
It isn’t the federal government’s job to make decisions on abortion or prayer in schools. It should belong to the states. That’s right ladies and gentleman, one of the cornerstones of the party, the nation state mentality.
If you see something so controversial that it requires a form of legal intervention you stick it on a ballot and you let the population vote on it. It’s really that simple.
We ALL need to realize as a party it is our responsibility to form an opinion upon the issues we believe in, educate ourselves on those matters and then vote for the person who closely resembles those ideals. We need to stop listening to whom televangelists, or anyone for that matter who think they can tell you who to ‘believe’ is the right candidate for America.
The final segment of the party is us. You know who I’m talking to. Those of us who really believe in the undeniable and unwavering beliefs of what our party was founded upon.
Limited government, strong defense, and individual freedom, the REAL founding father’s Republicans are out there. I’m one of them.
I hear these sentiments echoed every day in more places than I can even begin to describe to you.
It’s too late to ponder why we don’t have a real conservative out there. People keep throwing out Reagan’s name as a buzzword, including me, but it’s falling on deaf ears. People simply aren’t that stupid to believe that the ideals and philosophies of Reagan are being remotely practiced in this day and age.
We as a party have two choices right now. Unite or suffer the consequence of our actions.
To be honest, I might like to see what would happen if Obama would win the election. We’d end up with another Carter all over again with a candidate with no experience but we’d also capture that change he’s always talking about, it’s just not the change or direction that the liberals would have you believe it would be.
Maybe we’d then end up with the second coming of Reagan/Goldwaterism in 2012. I’ll be honest with you. I really believe it is coming.
It’s too easy to say you can redefine conservatism by the social ills of the day because you can’t, you cannot restate or reshape a party the way some would like. Conservatism simply does not change, it’s timeless. That is why the constructionists of this country and its ideals were genius. It is defined today by what it was during the inception of this great nation. It has been carried through time by great leaders. And make no mistake, another one is coming. 20 years from now maybe I’ll be talking about the triumphant return of true conservatism in America. I realize now that no matter how much that I may want it, it isn’t going to happen today. But if we take these ideas and really begin building upon them now, image what WE can do in the next four years?
I want you to do me a favor now. I want you to think about the words that Abraham Lincoln spoke in his famous address in Gettysburg.
The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Although President Lincoln was speaking of the great sacrifices that our divided nation’s armies committed on that day, it’s just a prevalent in this moment as it was then.
It’s time that we all remembered the great sacrifices that this country has experienced, those that we’ve set aside in our minds. It’s time we start remembering what our party was established upon, not what’s popular today or tomorrow.
It’s time we stand up and take our party back.
Monday, January 7, 2008
The Few...The Proud...
The Republicans!
It appears that I'm not alone in my real conservative thoughts. Now if I could only getting voting populace to jump on board somehow....
It appears that I'm not alone in my real conservative thoughts. Now if I could only getting voting populace to jump on board somehow....
Sunday, January 6, 2008
GOP Duel Part Deux
The first thing that came to mind watching the debate in New Hampshire was that it was a much calmer, and more neutered affair compared to last night. Although there were a couple of intense exchanges, it was nothing compared to last nights yelling match.
It certainly appeared that tonight was pick on Huckabee night but I suppose that's what you get when you win the first round. It certainly seemed to me that he could not hold up to the pressure of being attacked, and in my opinion really had a bad night.
I swear if I hear McCain say it wasn't amnesty one more time I think I might scream. To me, he came off once again as doing nothing more than pandering.
Another big night for Fred Thompson in my opinion, he is really turning on the charm and coming off as an intelligent, articulate candidate. As to if that will translate into votes certainly remains to be seen.
I also thought that Mitt Romney responded well to the controversies that were thrown his way as well and really, I believe, hit a home run tonight. This could be a big swing for him in terms of pulling in crucial votes.
The big question is how will this translate into votes come Tuesday? 24 hours to go....
It certainly appeared that tonight was pick on Huckabee night but I suppose that's what you get when you win the first round. It certainly seemed to me that he could not hold up to the pressure of being attacked, and in my opinion really had a bad night.
I swear if I hear McCain say it wasn't amnesty one more time I think I might scream. To me, he came off once again as doing nothing more than pandering.
Another big night for Fred Thompson in my opinion, he is really turning on the charm and coming off as an intelligent, articulate candidate. As to if that will translate into votes certainly remains to be seen.
I also thought that Mitt Romney responded well to the controversies that were thrown his way as well and really, I believe, hit a home run tonight. This could be a big swing for him in terms of pulling in crucial votes.
The big question is how will this translate into votes come Tuesday? 24 hours to go....
Where have the Real Republicans Gone?
I realize I spent a good bit of the week hammering on Mike Huckabee, and that stems solely from my general belief that he is not a true conservative. His past record alone on taxation and immigration do nothing but prove he's politics are pretty liberal at best.
After writing maybe my third piece pretty much railing on him, it got me thinking, where are the true Republicans at? Where have they gone?
It seems like to me the entire world has pushed more towards the center than the right like most liberals want to tell us.
I look at the candidates in this race and I wonder what happened to guys like Barry Goldwater?
The closest person we have to that style of conservatism is Fred Thompson, and thus far he has had a very lackluster showing, although that could certainly change.
The thing that disturbs me more than anything is the idea of voting based solely upon religion and forgoing the issues altogether.
I fear that the Republican party as it was is gone, its been washed away in light of neocons and theocrats.
I hope and pray I'm wrong, but where did all the real founding father Republicans go?
After writing maybe my third piece pretty much railing on him, it got me thinking, where are the true Republicans at? Where have they gone?
It seems like to me the entire world has pushed more towards the center than the right like most liberals want to tell us.
I look at the candidates in this race and I wonder what happened to guys like Barry Goldwater?
The closest person we have to that style of conservatism is Fred Thompson, and thus far he has had a very lackluster showing, although that could certainly change.
The thing that disturbs me more than anything is the idea of voting based solely upon religion and forgoing the issues altogether.
I fear that the Republican party as it was is gone, its been washed away in light of neocons and theocrats.
I hope and pray I'm wrong, but where did all the real founding father Republicans go?
GOP Meltdown
The day started out pretty well for Mitt Romney who won the Wyoming Caucus, but I'm betting that was the highlight.
If you watched the debates, you could certainly see a focused attack towards Romney.
I can't say that this comes as any surprise as he is probably seen as the biggest form of competition from pretty much every camp.
There are two things that came out of tonight that surprised me.
First of all, Mike Huckabee did a good job in keeping quiet. I can understand the fact that he doesn't have his Evangelical base to back him in New Hampshire, but you are getting free face time to espouse your views, so why not engage at every chance you get? I realize his camp is probably biding their time for South Carolina, but it certainly couldn't hurt, unless of course you worry about sticking your foot in your mouth and we all know how good Gov. Huckabee has been in doing that.
The second surprise that came out of tonight for me was how well Senator Thompson performed this evening. I thought he did a very good job at conveying his points as well as countering those who questioned him on them. It certainly isn't too late for Fred either, especially considering the uncertainty that we have on the GOP side right now.
If you watched the debates, you could certainly see a focused attack towards Romney.
I can't say that this comes as any surprise as he is probably seen as the biggest form of competition from pretty much every camp.
There are two things that came out of tonight that surprised me.
First of all, Mike Huckabee did a good job in keeping quiet. I can understand the fact that he doesn't have his Evangelical base to back him in New Hampshire, but you are getting free face time to espouse your views, so why not engage at every chance you get? I realize his camp is probably biding their time for South Carolina, but it certainly couldn't hurt, unless of course you worry about sticking your foot in your mouth and we all know how good Gov. Huckabee has been in doing that.
The second surprise that came out of tonight for me was how well Senator Thompson performed this evening. I thought he did a very good job at conveying his points as well as countering those who questioned him on them. It certainly isn't too late for Fred either, especially considering the uncertainty that we have on the GOP side right now.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Debate Night!
Saddle up for a four hour debate extravaganza tonight in New Hampshire.
With their state primary landing on Tuesday, this is a last minute effort to secure some of the few undecided votes left, at least according to this Rasmussen Report.
I'm pretty sure that unless we see some dramatic changes on the Dem side, Obama is going to be their Nominee and I believe New Hampshire will just emphasize that point.
On the GOP side the waters seem to be muddier than ever. Most folks seem to think that John McCain will be the sure fire winner there but there is a lot of time to make ground with tonight looming.
We also have Wyoming casting its Primary today for the Republican side, which I believe is just going to give us an ever murkier picture than before.
One thing of I will be interested to see is how Mike Huckabee stands without his Evangelical base. Will he get blown out of the water tonight, as well as during the subsequent primaries?
With their state primary landing on Tuesday, this is a last minute effort to secure some of the few undecided votes left, at least according to this Rasmussen Report.
I'm pretty sure that unless we see some dramatic changes on the Dem side, Obama is going to be their Nominee and I believe New Hampshire will just emphasize that point.
On the GOP side the waters seem to be muddier than ever. Most folks seem to think that John McCain will be the sure fire winner there but there is a lot of time to make ground with tonight looming.
We also have Wyoming casting its Primary today for the Republican side, which I believe is just going to give us an ever murkier picture than before.
One thing of I will be interested to see is how Mike Huckabee stands without his Evangelical base. Will he get blown out of the water tonight, as well as during the subsequent primaries?
Friday, January 4, 2008
Next Up: New Hampshire
And just as quickly as it started, Iowa is over and we're heading into New Hampshire in the second Primary.
I think we'll see a dramatically different result coming out of Tuesdays vote, I don't believe Huckabee will have his Evangelical base the way he did in Iowa (Then again, I was off the mark big time yesterday). We'll talk more about polls and guesses later, but before we even hit the Primary, we have the debates.
Of course, in true political season conflict, folks are already up in arms over the exclusion of certain candidates. Kucinich has already filed a complaint over the fact that he was left out.
Folks, I love elections and I love our system, but these people have been campaigning for over a year. If you can't meet one simple qualification out of three, then perhaps it's time to fold your tent as well.
It's time to start focusing on America's version of the popular candidates and allow them as much face time as possible. Let's help those undecided people in the country make an informed choice so they can properly cast their vote.
On a quick side note, Judicial Watch has posted their Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians. It truly is a Greatest Hits list including:
1. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
5. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
6. Governor Mike Huckabee
8. Senator Barack Obama
I think we'll see a dramatically different result coming out of Tuesdays vote, I don't believe Huckabee will have his Evangelical base the way he did in Iowa (Then again, I was off the mark big time yesterday). We'll talk more about polls and guesses later, but before we even hit the Primary, we have the debates.
Of course, in true political season conflict, folks are already up in arms over the exclusion of certain candidates. Kucinich has already filed a complaint over the fact that he was left out.
Folks, I love elections and I love our system, but these people have been campaigning for over a year. If you can't meet one simple qualification out of three, then perhaps it's time to fold your tent as well.
It's time to start focusing on America's version of the popular candidates and allow them as much face time as possible. Let's help those undecided people in the country make an informed choice so they can properly cast their vote.
On a quick side note, Judicial Watch has posted their Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians. It truly is a Greatest Hits list including:
1. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
5. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
6. Governor Mike Huckabee
8. Senator Barack Obama
Glenn Beck Does Iowa
Glenn is hopped on pain medication and gives us his thoughts on the Iowa Caucus and Mike Huckabee. I happen to agree with a lot of what he is saying and it merely helps further bolster my argument that Huckabee is not a true Conservative.
The Iowa Meltdown
I have to say that Iowa's turnout completely floored me. I honestly never expected the GOP base to lean towards Huckabee in such a dramatic fashion (More on this topic later as well). I suppose the real question all along should have been can he win outside of his evangelical base?
As Mitt Romney stated though, this is the first of 49 other states and the only thing this really confirms in my eyes is that this could be a very interesting Primary season.
Iowa was also the night that saw Biden and Dodd fold their tents for good. This comes as very little surprise to anyone as they never mustered much momentum throughout the year long campaign process.
So now we turn our focus towards New Hampshire. If anything at this point I believe that our picture on the GOP side is as blurry as ever. I don't think we'll have any true idea of who the nomination will go to until after Super Tuesday at the earliest.
As Mitt Romney stated though, this is the first of 49 other states and the only thing this really confirms in my eyes is that this could be a very interesting Primary season.
Iowa was also the night that saw Biden and Dodd fold their tents for good. This comes as very little surprise to anyone as they never mustered much momentum throughout the year long campaign process.
So now we turn our focus towards New Hampshire. If anything at this point I believe that our picture on the GOP side is as blurry as ever. I don't think we'll have any true idea of who the nomination will go to until after Super Tuesday at the earliest.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Mike Huckabee, the New Howard Dean?
I was having a talk the other day with a very close friend of mine about Mike Huckabee and why it is that I don't see him winning the eventual GOP Nomination. Through the course of our conversation as I outlined my thoughts (much of which I covered a couple of posts down) my friend made what I thought was a pretty accurate prediction.
"Huckabee is going to be the next Howard Dean".
I don't think i recognized the full gravity of that statement, even though I did agree with him at the time, I don't think he could have been more correct.
As I pointed out yesterday, he basically made himself look like a complete idiot with his intimate knowledge on Pakistan. It seems like every chance he has had in the last two weeks to knock himself backwards, he's been happy to embrace by inserting his foot directly into his mouth. I don't think anyone has forgotten about the pretty scathing question about the Mormon religion to a reporter of all people either.
Fast forward to just yesterday, when he crossed the WGA picket lines to appear on The Leno show.
All of these things are slowly adding up, event by event. You have to wonder if there will be an eventual public meltdown much like the original Dean.
And we draw even closer to Iowa this evening. Get your popcorn...
"Huckabee is going to be the next Howard Dean".
I don't think i recognized the full gravity of that statement, even though I did agree with him at the time, I don't think he could have been more correct.
As I pointed out yesterday, he basically made himself look like a complete idiot with his intimate knowledge on Pakistan. It seems like every chance he has had in the last two weeks to knock himself backwards, he's been happy to embrace by inserting his foot directly into his mouth. I don't think anyone has forgotten about the pretty scathing question about the Mormon religion to a reporter of all people either.
Fast forward to just yesterday, when he crossed the WGA picket lines to appear on The Leno show.
All of these things are slowly adding up, event by event. You have to wonder if there will be an eventual public meltdown much like the original Dean.
And we draw even closer to Iowa this evening. Get your popcorn...
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